Covers for articles such as boats, jet skis and other watercraft, cars, electronic devices, avionics, navigation devices and controls, and other products that are exposed to the elements, including sun, rain, snow, hail, dust and wind, typically include covers made from flexible materials such as canvas. Depending on the materials from which they are made, the covers may have relatively short life-spans due to wearing from exposure to the weather and from repeated use. In addition, covers made from flexible materials generally are not manufactured to fit a particular article but, rather, are manufactured as tarps that lie over an article and tie beneath the article or at an edge of the article. As in the case of cars, boats, other watercraft and the like, during travel the covers may flap, rip or otherwise separate from the covered article. Further, such covers are generally not adequately secure and are susceptible to lacerations, rips and tears due to knives, tree branches, and other sharp objects. As in the case of boats, cars, jet skis, and the like, where valuables may be stored, covers made from flexible materials typically are not sufficiently capable of providing protection for such valuables.
Attempts have been made to manufacture hard covers that are capable of withstanding environmental elements and typical physical wear and use. However, manufacturing such hard covers has proven challenging. Attempts to form hard covers while using the original article in the process may destroy or damage the original article. Fabricating molds of the original article from which to manufacture the hard cover also may damage or destroy the original article and/or may be excessively expensive due to the skill required to make the molds. Further, hard covers that are made to custom fit an article may be too difficult to adequately produce in a timely, cost-efficient manner.
Accordingly, a need exists for a better method of fabricating a hard cover for at least a portion of an article. A need further exists for a better method of fabricating, in a cost-efficient manner, a hard cover for at least a portion of an article.